


Better Uses

by EmberForge



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-21 05:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19996528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberForge/pseuds/EmberForge
Summary: Everyone in Felderwin looks forward to the annual Harvest Close festival. There’s food, games, and trinkets galore. Veth tries not to let the gossip of who’s going with whom get to her, but it’s hard when every person she knows seems to have already been asked by their special someone.She doesn’t know it, but Yeza has a plan.





	Better Uses

**Author's Note:**

> I would die for the Brenattos. They are the cutest family and I love them SO much.

Fall was fast approaching. The town of Felderwin didn’t usually have much going for it, but one thing they did have was an annual Harvest Close festival that they put on in the market square. It was the biggest social event of the year for the town, with kids looking forward to the games, parents looking forward to the food, and teens looking forward to being asked to the festival by a special someone.

Veth tried not to think about that last part too much. She’d been listening to the gossip all week about who was going with who, and all the elaborate ways the other girls had been asked. Layna had just been boasting the other day how Ty had asked her with a dozen roses in the middle of town. It was a bit elaborate for Veth’s tastes, but she couldn’t help the sting of jealousy as she overheard the girl loudly relay the event to the baker’s daughter while she was buying bread.

Veth... didn’t want to get her hopes up. It wasn’t out of the question to be asked; at least, not entirely. After all, she _had_ been spending more and more time with Yeza recently, but she was hesitant to call it anything. She’d been hurt too many times in the past to make any assumptions, though so far Yeza had seemed to be nothing but honest.

“There you are!”

Veth turned away from the fruit stall she had been contemplating buying lunch from to watch as Yeza came jogging up from behind her, smiling as she met his gaze. “Hi, Veth. I was wondering... would you like to spend the day by the river with me? There are some plants down there that I’d really like to take a look at, and I thought maybe we could try skipping rocks too. And I brought a picnic!” He enthusiastically held up the wicker basket that he had been carrying at his side.

Veth watched as he tried to catch his breath and couldn’t help but feel her lips twitch into a smile of her own. “That sounds really nice. I’d like that.”

“Great!” Almost unconsciously, he grabbed her free hand as he started leading her towards the direction of the river. When he recognized what he had just done, his eyes met hers, and he visibly blushed. Still, neither of them made any move to pull away.

———

“...and see the slight color variation and the rounded shape of this one’s leaves in comparison to that one’s? I think it might be a different species!” Yeza’s eyes shone in curious excitement as he held up two bunches of leafy greens for Veth’s scrutiny. 

“Have you tested them yet? That’s one of the plants Edith uses in that bruise salve she makes, right? Maybe one would make the salve more potent than the other.”

“That’s a brilliant idea! I’ll have to stop by her house later this afternoon and talk to her about it.” He carefully tucked samples of each of the plant in a satchel laying beside him on the grass. Seemingly at a loss of what to do with his hands, he started fiddling with the clasps on the different compartments of the bag. “So. Did you hear that Mr. Turner from the orchard is sponsoring an archery contest for the festival?”

Veth’s eyes widened in surprise. “No! Really? I thought he was withdrawing from running a game since he almost got some fingers chopped off at his axe throwing booth last year.”

“He says that the arrows don’t have metal tips, so things will be fine. Apparently the goal will be to knock three apples off of posts. If you do, you get a whole sack of apples to take home.”

“Wow. The harvest must have been pretty good this year.” Veth commented

“You should try and do it. I’ve seen you practicing with that old now you have. You’re really good.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. Besides, I’m not sure if I’m even going. There’s some chores to catch up with around the house, and...”

“What? But you have to go!” Yeza fumbled with his satchel clasps, pulling something from his satchel before turning to face her. “Veth, I... I think you’re cute as a button. Would you do me the honor or accompanying me to the Harvest Close festival?” He unclasped his hands, revealing a necklace strung with beautiful polished brass buttons. “I want to go, but... it wouldn’t be the same without you,” he said earnestly.

Veth felt her heart leap into her throat as she looked from the necklace, to the nervously hopeful face in front of her. “Oh, Yeza. I think I’d really like that.”

His answering smile could have rivalled the sun as he took her hands in his, holding the necklace between them. “That’s wonderful! I’ll meet you at your house just before midday tomorrow and we can walk over together, okay?”

“Okay.”

He squeezed her hands and stood up from his perch on the grass, and her hand closed around the necklace he left behind. He helped her up as well, and slung his satchel over his shoulder, grabbing his picnic basket in one hand and her own in his other. “Here, I’ll walk you home.”

The walk back was peaceful, with both halflings feeling warm and happy despite the slight chill in the air as they walked side by side. Yeza only let go of her hand when they reached the front door of her house, and both were slightly saddened to have to let go. “Have a good night, Veth. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Goodnight!” She told him, smiling as he practically skipped away.

———

It took Veth far longer than she should to get ready, but it was very difficult to decide what to wear. She didn’t have very many nice things, and after a long debate she decided to go with a green dress with little red flowers on it. She spent a good deal of time braiding and rebraiding her hair, then tied the ends with red ribbons. 

When she was finally finished she carefully clasped the necklace around her neck, and as she stared at her reflection to make sure it laid just right, she realized just how happy it made her to look in the mirror.

Midday hit, and minute after minute passed. The longer she stood outside waiting for Yeza, the more worried she got. Did he forget? Or had it been a prank all along? What if he-

“Veth!”

Yeza was tearing up the path at top speed. He came skidding to a halt in front of her, hands on his knees has he gasped for air. “I’m so sorry I’m late! I couldn’t find my other shoe for the _longest_ time, and I-”

“It’s alright!” Veth said, giving him a small smile as he straightened his glasses. His polished shoes were accompanied by a nice shirt and a forest green vest, which was haphazardly hanging open. Upon closer scrutiny, she realized that it was because there were little tufts of thread where the buttons should be. “Yeza, what happened to your vest?”

He gave a pointed glance to her collarbone. She reached up and grabbed the necklace, frowning at the realization. “Oh, Yeza! You didn’t have to do that for me! Now your vest is all ruined-“

“My vest doesn’t matter to me! I knew they’d look better on you, and I was right.” The sincerely in his tone was overwhelming. Veth’s knew her blush must be obvious, but she didn’t care because the feeling of butterflies in her stomach was far more distracting. Yeza slipped his hand into hers. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” Veth told him. He leaned over and gave her a chaste peck on the cheek. Veth’s heart absolutely melted, and she squeezed his hand.

She never wanted to let go.


End file.
